Nier Automata: Vague Hope
by TTY7
Summary: Soldiers take pride in their service, friends take pride in keeping their promises, and lovers take pride in being what the other can't live without, but for YoRHa Unit 9S, 2B's trust was his badge of honor, more so than any number of accolades he had ever received. (A 2B/9S short-story exploring the possible progression of their relationship.)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So...I've been playing a little game called Nier: Automata since its release date on March 7th, like many others...and pretty much had my mind blown by just how amazing it ended up being as an experience. (Technically I'm not through with that experience since I'm still playing, but I digress.) Anyway, I adore 2B and 9S. Their interactions were charming, hilarious at times, and just...oh don't get me started. To put it simply, I want to write a lot of little stories for these two and this one I've been working on for the last week and a half will be my first entry. I hope you guys will enjoy it.

Secondary note: This story is going to be roughly...three to four chapters long in length. I could have made it one giant one-shot, but...I doubt you guys would want to read something that's 10,000 to 12,000 words in one sitting. (And besides, more chapters equals more potential for reviews. Yes, I am shameless. Haha!)

Regular font: Normal narrative/speech

 _Italics: Thoughts/memories/emphasis_

Disclaimer: Nier: Automata is the property of Yoko Taro, Platinum Games, and Square Enix. This fanfiction is was made for entertainment purposes only. Enjoy!

* * *

 _Machines are the enemy. Never forget that._

YoRHa Unit 9S repeated the words of his comrade, YoRHa Unit 2B, like a mantra in his mind following a particularly grueling mission in which he was forced to hack into the memory data of a grotesque machine songstress. Ironically, that machine's sole goal was to attain beauty, an illusory human concept rendered meaningless by the continuous warfare throughout the ages.

The songstress had committed all manner of sins in her quest, including but not limited to devouring her own kind, while wearing the bodies of androids executed by her mechanical hands.

A disgusting creature like that deserved death.

Still...

What was the motivation behind those actions? What meaning did beauty hold for this machine?

As a combat unit, 2B wasn't one to ask a lot of questions. An enemy was an enemy, so in hindsight, whatever their supposed reasons may be, it held no meaning for her. Everything that lives is designed to end; therefore, machine lifeforms who dared to stand before her with weapons raised would meet their end by the pristine blade she carried.

9S, however, is one of the scanner models of YoRHa, and a curious one at that. Thus, he questioned things more thoroughly than 2B dared to, primarily as a means of reconnaissance but also to satisfy a genuine interest in machine functionality.

Of course, this time had been an entirely different matter altogether.

Upon hacking the data of the machine songstress, 9S found himself flooded with a multitude of thoughts he knew weren't his own. Clearly the machine's memory data had poured into his system, granting him access to words and images from various moments in time.

Piecing them together, 9S discovered the story behind the brutal adversary. Her tale was one of unrequited love, rejection, and sorrow.

 _He never looks my way. He never looks my way. He never looks my way._

That was another thought he kept hearing over and over.

9S deduced the despair emanating from the memory data was merely an imitation of human emotion the alien technology had observed at some point. After all, machines didn't have real feelings...

Even so, the scanner model did feel sorry for the machine, to the point where it showed. It was why 2B chided him in the first place.

 _Machines are the enemy. Never forget that._

He hadn't forgotten; however, lately he felt as if he were losing sight of the truth both of them knew.

The downward spiral started with Pascal and his village of peaceful machines, who had themselves cut off from the network in which the rest of the machines operated. Thus, with the severed connection, the machines residing there lived quiet lives behind carefully protected barriers.

At the same time, Pascal often worked with Anemone, leader of the Android Resistance, engaging in trade where both parties greatly benefited.

For 9S, the idea of machines and androids having a harmonious relationship with one another was so jarring that he outright refused to believe it, even going so far as to suspect the village leader of foul play at one point, but eventually the suspicion ebbed away into general wariness as he found himself working alongside 2B on various tasks aiding the machine residents.

It was a surreal feeling, helping machines...their sworn enemies.

The wariness dissolved shortly after the suspicion died, and when 9S couldn't get answers from the Commander about A2, a rogue YoRHa unit he and 2B had come across, he went to Pascal for assistance without any hesitation at all.

2B had chided him about that as well, but complimented him seconds later, calling his curiosity admirable before reminding him once more of the truth.

 _Machines are the enemy. Never forget that._

She said those words often enough, but 9S wasn't sure whether or not he was the only one she was directing those words to.

Something was changing. He could feel it but couldn't properly decipher what was happening to either of them.

And though 9S was usually the one to accept the tasks offered to them, it was 2B who put more effort into them, conducting herself in a far kinder manner than when the two of them were first assigned to gather data on Earth together.

Granted she was still sterile and cold towards him half the time, but even that was lessening now. She came so close to calling him by his nickname the other day...

 _..._

Today the two androids were playing escort to a tall machine, who dubbed herself the Little Sister Machine since she had no actual name to go by. There were no active missions from the Bunker or from the Resistance Camp, so 9S had volunteered his and 2B's services.

Not his best idea...

The tall machine girl kept asking him questions about humans and seemed particularly interested in what makes children...a concept neither 9S or 2B were willing to explain.

Apparently, both of them discovered what it means to find themselves in an awkward situation and were very happy to fight off any hostile machines gracious enough to interrupt the conversation.

When all three of them returned to the village, the Big Sister Machine-who was tiny mind you-was so delighted and relieved that she rewarded the two androids with items worth ten thousand G, and two ribbons resembling the ones both machines wore around their heads. 2B thanked them for the gifts, smiling softly at them without a hint of hesitance.

And right there was another change in 2B's attitude. A week ago she had bitten his head off about how gifts were a useless ritual then followed up with, " _It's rude to give a person something without their permission. What if they don't want it?"_

9S remembered trying to explain it was more about the _feeling_ behind a gift than the gift itself, but she responded with a line she often used when annoyed with him.

 _Feelings are prohibited._

And yet now, she was actively accepting a gift from _machines_ , the very creatures responsible for their endless days of fighting, with a look of pure bliss on her face.

The sight was so strange, unnatural even, and yet...

Uncomfortable, 9S departed from the village ahead of 2B, though it didn't take her any effort to catch up to him.

"Something wrong?"

The scanner model answered by stretching his arms over his head. "I'm fine, but man was that tiresome."

He could hear 2B's light footfalls a short distance behind him as well as her scoff. "You really need to work on your whining habits."

"Whining!? I'm not whining!"

A light, almost inaudible chuckle filled the air around them, surprising 9S on a whole other level when he realized his comrade was the one making the sound. "Yes you are."

Though slightly peeved at her wrongful assessment of his comments, he figured he shouldn't argue. He rather hear her laugh than for her to be totally silent as she tended to be when they traveled from place to place. Maybe the two of them could actually have a normal conversation for once.

"We're soldiers," he told her jokingly, faking a rebuttal to her previous statement. "We take pride in our service."

9S was hoping to hear her soft chuckling again, but when the footfalls behind him came to a sudden halt, he stopped also.

"2B?"

"I..."

At her lack of a response, 9S moved to face his fellow soldier and for the first time in a very long while, took a moment to truly study her.

Lean and tall, 2B stood with her gloved hands clenched tightly by her sides, and while her stance had become completely rigid, the skirt of the black YoRHa uniform she wore swayed lightly in the breeze along with the ends of the short, platinum-colored hair framing her face.

The black-out visor, a mandatory accessory for all combat and scanner units, prevented 9S from seeing her eyes. He could see everything else easily despite the covering on his face, yet 2B's eyes were entirely blocked from his sight.

But he had seen them once, so he knew they were blue, like the eternally blue sky so high above them.

Often he wondered why hiding their eyes from one another was such a big deal, or to a point, why the "blindfolds" were necessary. The covering neither aided or hindered their ability to see.

Perhaps it had to do with the rule prohibiting expressions of emotion, but 9S decided not to speculate upon the idea. It was a thought to ponder on at another time and place, but not now.

Besides, even without a view of 2B's eyes, he could still read the expression on her face.

Her nose was crinkled slightly, while her lips...

Her lips...

Suddenly, 9S found himself unable to properly focus on anything else but on the perfectly shaped, peach-colored mouth slowly pressing into a thin line.

From that alone he knew he had upset her deeply in some way, but this fact didn't really register properly. He felt as if his mind were short circuiting or something, and the rise in his heart rate didn't help matters, for he could feel the artificial organ beating against his chest in a relentless, almost painful rhythm.

 _"What in the world is going on with me?"_

Luckily, something else caught his attention, drawing away his focus from 2B's delicate yet intense frown.

"Is that..." He stuttered, still shaking off the effects of whatever had happened to him before. "You're wearing the ribbon Big Sister Machine gave you?"

2B's mouth parted, clearly shocked back into reality by the sudden question directed toward her, which caused 9S to wonder just what it was she had been thinking about.

Keeping her tone neutral, she answered him as nonchalantly as possible.

"I decided to put it on."

The wind shifted into another direction, showcasing how the conversation had taken a turn as the branches of the trees encircling them shook, creating a distant hum of sound. A few leaves separated from those same branches, drifting to the dirt path they stood on like petals.

Standing in silence once more, 9S took another moment to study his partner, noting the care she had taken to tie the blue ribbon into an elegant bow along the side of her head.

The smile, the laughter, the sudden intensity, the ribbon in her hair...

All of it was so unlike her.

Tilting his head in confusion, he asked her...

"Why?"

2B started to answer, but found that she needed a little time to figure out how to phrase her reasoning, and truthfully, a part of her wanted to ignore the question altogether. After all, no real benefit could come from expressing her thoughts to him.

Even so...

"Unit 2B should answer the inquiry of Unit 9S."

The female android let out a sigh. "Pod. Please halt all speech functions until told otherwise."

"Affirmative. Now deactivating all speech functions."

With the order given, 2B walked around 9S, her pace brisk as he fell in step behind her. The silence between them was nothing different from normal. If 2B didn't want to answer his questions, he wasn't going to try and force her to.

The unanswered question will still gnaw at him relentlessly, as all his unanswered questions did, but his respect for 2B outweighed the yearning to understand what was going on in her mind.

Fortunately, 9S' patience was rewarded after only a few minutes of silence.

"We promised to go shopping together at the end of this war," 2B reminded him once they reached the outskirts of the City Ruins. Slowing her pace she added, "You said you wanted to buy me a T-shirt."

9S nodded, his focus still on the bow in her hair. "Yeah, I did."

The combat model seemed to struggle saying her next words, which was a sharp contrast from her usual stoic confidence and all-business attitude.

"I...decided that I like this color."

"Really? I thought pink would be more your style."

2B didn't respond to his attempt at a joke. "I also decided...I like the idea of Androids and Machines living together in peace."

9S stopped walking then. "But 2B, you..."

"Of course I know," she cut in, also ceasing her movements. "Such ideas are a far cry from reality. But...it's still an appealing idea."

Unsure of what to say, 9S chose to stay silent. After all, whether 2B knew it or not, she was granting him the rare opportunity to examine a different side of her, a side he was certain no one else had seen.

Her trust in him was his badge of honor, more so than any number of accolades he had received after a number of successful missions.

" _My heart rate is picking up again_ ," he thought, fighting a smile. " _But at least this time...I know why."_

2B turned to face him fully, her hair following the flow of the wind as she continued speaking, saying, "We are not permitted to feel, and yet we were programmed with emotions." She paused briefly, her frown deepening. "I always thought such programming to be cumbersome."

Once again, 9S asked her...

"Why?"

"Because...emotions...create pain."

"2B..."

She shook her head, another laugh escaping her, but this one was a bit more bitter.

"Forgive me. That was unprofessional conduct."

"No, it's fine, 2B," he told her, moving a little closer. "I don't mind. You can tell me anything you want."

His words caused the briefest of smiles to appear on her face and in that tiny moment, 9S felt real happiness for the first time.

"The appreciation from those machines made me..." she stopped and shook her head again, deeming whatever she was about to say pointless.

"9S."

"Yeah?"

"If the day ever comes where we can be free from this war, I would like you to buy me something matching this ribbon."

The scanner model would have responded, but before he could, both YoRHa units caught the distinct sound of metal clanging against the dirt.

"Enemies detected."

9S unsheathed his sword following the warning from Pod 153. "2B, you should probably let your pod have his speaking functions back."

"Right." Withdrawing her own blade, the combat unit addressed her support unit while keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings. "Pod, restore speech functions."

Pod 042 responded immediately. "Speech functions restored."

Locked in battle stances, 2B and 9S carefully assessed the situation. A handful of small machine lifeforms were slowly hobbling toward them, accompanied by three more robust machines with spears sharpened and ready to tear their artificial flesh apart with no knowledge of how outclassed they truly were.

2B was the first to leap into battle, her sword glistening brightly as she wove her way past several crimson and maroon bubbles of destructive light. With precision and ease she sliced through the larger enemies, weakening them as 9S battled the smaller enemies through means of swordsmanship and hacking, but more were closing in from a distance.

In less than a minute, the two YoRHa units found themselves caught in an encirclement with their backs pressed against each other.

"It's a deal."

2B's eyebrow raised slightly from beneath the visor as the grip on her sword's hilt tightened. "What?"

"One day I'll buy you something really special to match the ribbon in your hair," he clarified, more focused on the enemies before them than on her. "But you have to find something nice for me too, alright."

Unable to stop herself from smiling, 2B gave a small grunt of acknowledgement. "Sure. Thank you, 9S."

"No problem," he replied, a grin on his face as well. "After all, supporting combat units is what we scanner models do best."

His words were rewarded with a soft laugh. "You still don't have a shred of modesty though, do you?"

Returning the chuckle, 9S moved into a combative stance. "No. I guess not."

Without another word, the two flung themselves into battle again and though the two fought on different ends of the battlefield, they moved in perfect harmony with one another, creating a wondrous melody of hope and hidden despair.

" _2B, even if the ideal you wish for never comes to pass, I'll stand beside you...always..."_

* * *

A/N: And that's the end of this first chapter. If you guys enjoyed it, feel free to leave me a comment saying so. Also, if there's anything grammar wise or character wise that's a little funky up there, please tell me and I will do what I can to fix it. Because I love these two characters so much, I want to make sure they get the proper respect that is due them through this work. Constructive criticism is welcome! Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm going to be honest, I was nervous about this story because I've been having a hard time working through writer's block lately, so the last thing I expected was such a warm reception from so many of you. Thank you for all the kind comments and the suggestions. I want to extend a special thank you to OerbayunFang for the lovely compliment on my writing and for pointing out some very important lore information that I will be implementing into the previous chapter when I go back to edit it later. This information mainly had to do with how money works within this universe which is helpful because this particular chapter deals with that a great deal, so thank you very much!

Secondary note: I'm really glad you guys enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you will like this one just as much despite it being a tiny bit longer than the previous one. Turns out that the whole story may be a bit longer than I first predicted, which is good because more content for 2B and 9S is always a plus. (Those two are just too adorable!)

Disclaimer: I do not own the brilliant work that is NieR: Automata. It is proudly owned by Yoko Taro, Platinum Games, and Square Enix. Please support the official release. And no this is not an abridged series. However, this chapter will be a bit more humorous. Enjoy!

* * *

The following day was another slow day for YoRHa Units 2B and 9S.

Actually, to put it more bluntly, it was worse than slow. It was agonizing boredom.

Well, at least for one of the two units.

"Operator, are you absolutely certain there is no assignment from the Commander...or anyone? Anyone at all?"

Though not prone to showcasing any emotion whatsoever on most occasions, it was clear to 9S that he was beginning to wear down his operator's last nerve.

"Unit 9S, frequent repetition of known information is counterproductive and a waste of energy."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that, but..."

"As stated countless times before, the Commander has not issued any further orders for units 9S and 2B; therefore, your mission is to gather data and assist the resistance forces if there is a need to do so. Have I made myself perfectly clear now?"

9S let out a long sigh. "Yes."

"No other information is available. Operator 21O out."

The scanner unit attempted speaking, but the connection cut off long before he could.

"Ugh! You have got to be kidding!"

2B, with her arms crossed in front of her chest, casually leaned against the side of the access point in the resistance camp and watched her companion pace back and forth. Clearly the shorter android still needed to work on his whining habits even though he was trying his very best to tough out the restlessness overwhelming him for her sake.

Unfortunately, he wasn't fooling anyone-least of all, 2B.

Exhaling a sigh, the more mature android placed her hand on 9S' shoulder, halting his frenetic movements. "Perhaps we should just rest today."

He nodded, though a scowl was still very evident on his face. "I guess that's all we can do. Although..." The scowl transformed into a more thoughtful expression. "This may be a good chance for the two of us to upgrade our equipment and enhance the capabilities of our plug-in chips. Our pods could use a tune up too."

"Do we have enough funds for that?"

"Oh, yeah, we have plenty from all the different side missions we've been doing."

2B turned her attention toward the camp's exit. "Well then, if that's the case, do all the upgrading you can."

She started to leave, but 9S tugged at the edge of her sleeve, stopping her from moving.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"No one needs anything here," she explained. "So I'm going to check in with Pascal and see if he or the villagers have anything for us to take care of."

"Oh...then shouldn't I go with you?"

"No. I'll manage fine on my own for the time being," she told him as he slowly released his hold on her sleeve. "After all, you have business to take care of here, right?"

Pouting in a most miserable fashion, 9S let out a small sigh. "Yeah, I guess."

2B suddenly had the urge to pat him on the head but was quick to suppress it since she was absolutely certain her comrade wouldn't appreciate the gesture, so instead she offered a kind smile and a hesitant wave before turning her back.

" _He really is hopeless sometimes_ ," she thought, fighting against another smile as the noise of the resistance camp faded behind her. She seemed to be doing that more and more these days.

"Pod."

The small robot hovering next to her halted the same moment she did. "

"Stay here with 9S and get some maintenance."

"Negative," Pod 042 responded, his small robotic arms moving up and down while he spoke. "Traveling alone through the city is not recommended."

Placing a gloved hand on her hip, the female android gave a quick rebuttal. "I am more than capable of handling a few machines on my own. An upgrade to your current system will provide greater ease in future missions, so it is in my best interest for you take advantage of this opportunity."

Pod 042 stayed quiet for a short moment.

"Very well. Reasoning from Unit 2B accepted. Do you wish to temporarily transfer control of my systems to Unit 9S?"

"I do," she answered, walking into the clearing in front of them. A few machines were close by, but none of them seemed to be paying her any attention at the moment. "Tell 9S I'll be back soon."

"Affirmative."

"And tell him one other thing for me..."

* * *

The pod assigned to 2B traveled back into the camp. He found 9S shortly after entering and quickly relayed 2B's message to him.

9S groaned.

"I...don't whine..."

Pod 153 hovered closer to Pod 042. "I disagree. Unit 9S seems to enjoy relaying negative commentary to any available to hear it."

"That is an accurate conjecture, Pod 153."

"Thank you, Pod 042."

9S felt something akin to a vein pulsating inside of his skull in a very unpleasant manner. " _She wants me to stop complaining yet leaves me with these two."_ Exhaling, the scanner unit decided to repurpose his energy into maintenance for himself and the two pods with him.

He steered most of his concentration toward fusing a few of the chips he and 2B had gathered. These chips they had found were primarily geared toward emergency restoration during battle and increasing evade range. He also needed to purchase some extra storage for them too.

At the maintenance station, he went about fusing the appropriate chips so they would take up less space, bought two plus 8 storage chips, had one of them installed into his system along with a few hacking chips he had on hand.

The remaining storage chip and the emergency heal chip were items he decided to keep on his person until 2B returned. Since he was assigned to handle her maintenance, he usually took care of installing whatever chips she needed.

Taking care of that, he took a look at the raw materials collected in the hopes of upgrading 2B's pod and his own.

Unfortunately...

"Sorry, that isn't enough to give both of these guys a singular upgrade."

9S felt another sigh bubble inside of his throat, but suppressed it in honor of 2B's secondary chiding of him. "Is that so?"

"On the bright side, if I repurpose some of the items, I can give one of your pods a double boost," the kind maintenance android stated.

"Just one, huh?"

She nodded, her artificial amber gaze full of warmth and friendliness. "So, which one would you like me to upgrade?"

He pointed to 2B's pod without a second of hesitation. "This one will do."

Pod 042 moved his arms about as if he were puzzled. "Are you certain of this choice? Tactical Support Unit 153, assigned to YoRHa Unit 9S, will be at a disadvantage in future missions where stronger enemies are present. Proposal: Gather more materials before purchasing maintenance."

"That would probably be the more logical idea," 9S admitted. "But I rather not wait on this. 2B will put the upgrades to good use, and...I want her to have them."

The maintenance shop owner was practically beaming from ear to ear at his words. "Awww, that's so sweet! You must really care a lot about Miss 2B."

"Yeah, more than she knows," 9S replied, withdrawing the items he needed to pay for the double enhancement of 2B's pod before what he said registered in his own mind.

"I uh...mean...she's a valued comrade," he supplied, handing the shop owner a machine core from the last Goliath class machine they had faced.

The shop owner chuckled as she took his payment for the services. "Alright then, let's get this guy tuned up."

It took twenty minutes for Pod 042's upgrades to install. During that time, 9S took some time to visit the supply shop to see if he had any new plug-in chips as well as buy a couple restorative items. You could never have too many of those.

The time went by quickly and after a wave goodbye to the supply shop owner, he collected 2B's pod from the maintenance area. Once again he waved his thanks to the owner, then turned on his heel toward the entrance to the camp.

" _May as well meet up with 2B_ ," he thought to himself. " _She's taking a little too long to get back."_

Of course, 9S' decision was met with some scrutiny.

"Proposal: Unit 9S should stay at the resistance camp until Unit 2B returns."

"Pod 042 is in agreement with Pod 153. Unit 9S should remain at the resistance camp."

These two were a riot. Really. 9S just loved having both of them in his ear.

"I am perfectly capable of traveling from point A to point B without trouble," he stated, his tone surprisingly neutral for how irritated he was. "If an enemy shows up, I'll hack into its system and shut it down."

"Unit 9S may become overwhelmed by hostile machine lifeforms exceeding a certain numerical value..."

While Pod 153 was still talking, a sharp, blaring noise shot through the quiet atmosphere of the city, startling 9S into a quick combative stance as he examined the area around him, readying himself for anything...

Anything except for what ended up happening.

"WHOA!"

The scanner model turned around with his hand on the hilt of his golden blade, but the sight that befell him rendered him speechless and motionless.

A giant red and blue vehicle was hurdling through the sky straight at him, its invasive musical theme screaming through the whole city.

Unsure of how to respond, 9S simply stepped out of the way and with disbelief in his expression, watched the vehicle and its odd passenger bounce along the pavement.

Eventually it stopped, landing right side up believe it or not.

The driver, an odd looking head with a very creepy smile moaned out softly in pain.

"Ouch...that hurt."

9S stood completely still, his mouth slightly ajar in astonishment.

"Correction," Pod 153 stated. "It only takes one, _peaceful_ , indistinguishable lifeform to overwhelm Unit 9S."

Picking up his jaw from the ground, the scanner model took a slow step toward the vehicle housing the strange head.

Whatever the thing happened to be shifted its gaze toward the android. "Oh! It's you!"

"I..."

"..."

9S couldn't say any more than that.

"Sorry I got startled and ran away...or rolled away rather."

The scanner model wracked his memory circuits for a moment, briefly recollecting the strange head and how he and 2B had been aiming to kill it when they first saw it.

He was still contemplating the option honestly.

"I'm Emil by the way," the smiling creature stated. "Come see my wares. I've got the best prices around."

"Proposal: Unit 9S should take a look at Emil's items."

9S glanced between the pods on either side of him. "Are you two crazy!?"

"Negative," they both replied. "Our logic circuits are perfectly functional."

Truth be told, the android wanted nothing more than to turn in the other direction and just pretend this randomness had never happened. That was the most sound idea in his mind; however, at the continuous prompting from the two pods along with Emil's joyful begging, 9S found himself unable to refuse.

One look wouldn't kill him...hopefully.

"I have the best items around," Emil boasted in a child-like manner. "Take your pick."

Finally out of whatever stupor Emil's presence had put him in, 9S examined the different items in this shop's stock with a critical eye. Most of the objects for sale were things he and 2B had found throughout their travels, although there were some useful items present, items not so easily found. In specific, he noted a vast amount of Titanium Alloy, which he knew 2B needed to upgrade her two swords, Virtuous Contract and Virtuous Treaty. Realizing this, he stocked up on the substance and from there noted something else he knew 2B needed for one of the weapons she kept on hand. He bought that item in excess, just as he had with the Titanium Alloy.

He would have continued from there, but thankfully he noticed how his shared funds with 2B were beginning to take a dive.

"Better stop while I'm ahead," he said aloud, chuckling a bit to himself.

"Are you sure?" Emil asked. "I have one more thing here that I think you'd really like. Here, let me show it to you."

"Oh, no, I really..."

The words died on his tongue.

"So? What do you think of it?"

9S stared at the item Emil offered to him.

"Pretty, right?"

The android reached toward the object, his fingertips barely brushing against it.

" _It's more than that_ ," he thought. " _It's exactly what she wanted."_

* * *

YoRHa Unit 2B departed from the machine village in quiet sorrow around midday, her hidden gaze on the bracelet of violet flowers encircling her wrist. The children living there wove the tiny plants together, then presented it to her with words of thanks for helping their friends and families.

The simple gesture of gratitude was touching, so much so that the android noted the beginnings of tears from beneath the fabric covering her eyes.

And so, with a smile and a promise to come back to the village soon, 2B left.

Now she finds herself in the outskirts of the ruined human city, unable to move forward.

She loved the gift. The sentiment behind it was nice, but...

" _What am I doing?"_

2B killed several machine lifeforms of the same size and shape as the children who meticulously crafted the bracelet on her wrist. She would kill more of them tomorrow...perhaps even later today.

This fact made the burden on her shoulders feel heavier.

Instead of allowing the village to continue existing, she should have eradicated it, dismantled it, destroyed it...something...anything...

Machines are the enemy. 2B knows there is no escaping that truth, but each time she enters the village, she entertains the idea of an eventual peace, allows her walls to crumble little by little.

When did she start caring about them?

When did taking out machines actively trying to destroy her begin to weigh down on her conscience?

Machines are the enemy, and yet...she has gained appreciation from them, respect even.

Is it a sign to have hope in? Will the number of peaceful machine lifeforms increase? Will the centuries old war end through simple surrender. Would the androids who had fought and survived through countless years of agony be able to accept it?

 _"No."_

The history between android and machine is far too bloody...too chaotic to be undone through such simple means.

Though an expert at concealing her emotions, 2B couldn't block them out entirely. As a soldier, her duty is to fight on regardless of whatever heartache consumes her, but...

 _"Don't think about it. Not now."_

2B would follow orders and complete the missions assigned to her without complaint; moreover, one day she would cease to feel anything regarding the tasks she had to complete. Though perpetually trapped in a never-ending cycle, she would fight on. She had to.

Gratitude and appreciation aren't a necessary component to that end.

However, 2B kept the bracelet around her wrist and the ribbon in her hair anyway.

Foolish or not, the items represented something she wanted to believe in.

Working on auto-pilot, the female android walked in the direction of the resistance camp at a leisurely pace as a means to collect the plethora of unorganized thoughts tumbling chaotically through her mind.

Unfortunately, an image of 9S appeared before her unexpectedly when she neared the clearing below the entrance to the resistance camp. She came to a stop a long ways off, watching him lift his shrouded gaze to the sky above, almost as if he were appreciating the color of the sky for the first time.

Terrible memories long since locked away came to the forefront in those seconds of observing him in an abrupt manner, stealing away air she had been about to inhale.

 _Don't cry, 2B. It's not...your fault. I was...too curious for my own good I guess._

She could hear laughter in her mind, a sound laced in grief and physical torment.

But more powerful than the melancholy chill the memories brought were the multitude of smiles she had seen on his face, the look of admiration and respect in his eyes as she...

"Hey! 2B!"

2B immediately schooled her features into a nonchalant mask. "What are you doing out here?"

"About to come looking for you actually," he answered, his voice reflecting his change in mood. He was happy about something, but 2B couldn't guess what, and right now, she really didn't care to know.

Right now it was difficult to keep her own emotions in check.

"Anyway, I have a surprise for you," 9S was saying.

"Control of Tactical Unit 042 transferred to YoRHa Unit 2B."

She acknowledged the return of her pod with a nod. "What is it, 9S?"

The scanner model brought one of his hands to his chin, clearly pondering some things to himself. "Well...several things actually, now that I think about it."

He spoke the words quickly, perhaps even a bit awkwardly. 2B noted the mannerisms detachedly as she had numerous times before.

"Pod 042 has been enhanced on a major scale," he continued, not realizing that she had already picked up on this and on the fact his pod hadn't received so much as a clean-up job.

"Did you not upgrade your own pod?" she asked.

"Oh, that? Well..." he paused, his focus on the robot hovering next to him. "I didn't have enough materials to update both of our pods at once, so I decided to put what we had toward enhancing yours to the fullest. After all, you're in more direct contact with the enemy when we fight. The extra projectile range from 042 should benefit us greatly."

2B started to chide him, but 9S bulldozed right over her words with his own.

He was no good at hiding his emotions.

"I also stocked up on some Titanium Alloy so you could enhance your swords," he told her, his hands shuffling through his pockets. "Oh, and I'll need to install this extra storage chip to your system later. You'll be able to activate those extra plug-in chips we found."

"I hope that's the last of the surprises," 2B muttered, glad to be able to focus on something aside from her old memories. "I hope you used some of our funds to upgrade your own equipment or at least get some maintenance."

9S outright laughed at her. "Yeah, I got everything I needed. In fact, your final surprise is something for both of us."

The female android let out another sigh, not even paying attention as he reached into the small bag he was carrying with him. "9S, wasting our funds on trivial items is not..."

"Oh, give it a rest will you." Without another word he quickly let the bag fall from the item he now held in both his hands.

The color of the object stole her attention, and for a few seconds she lost herself in the glow of its hue.

"What is this?"

9S grinned at her question. "It's a dress from the old world," he answered, sounding more lively than she had ever heard him. "Emil told me its the very last of its kind. He called it a sundress."

"A sundress?"

"Females of the human species used to wear them for casual outings in favorable weather conditions," Pod 153 stated.

2B continued to stare at the dress, hesitant to say or do anything. It was definitely something to behold with its scoop-neck, short-sleeved design that narrowed at the waist then spiraled out into soft pleats in a similar manner to the skirt of the uniform she was already wearing, though not as stiff. The article of clothing was also in astonishingly good condition considering its age and the obvious wear on the seams along the hemline.

With a hesitant hand she touched the fabric as it moved with the breeze, finally registering how the dress matched the ribbon in her hair perfectly.

"So, what do you think?"

The female android barely heard his question, for a sensation of drowning suddenly overloaded her senses. Acting on instinct, she recoiled from the dress as if it had burned her.

9S tilted his head in clear confusion. "What? Isn't this what you wanted?"

2B still couldn't answer.

 _Don't cry, 2B. Please...I don't blame you for any of it. I promise you I don't._

Her hands curled into tight fists involuntarily. " _He always does this. Every time."_

"Okay...are you even listening anymore?"

She wasn't. Something inside was definitely malfunctioning, preventing her from being able to think coherently.

Fearful that it might be the beginnings of a logic virus, 2B took a step back, further distancing herself from 9S and the relic he held in his hands.

"2B?"

"I'm fine," she told him, uncertain of whether that was the truth or not, but forcing out words seemed to help with the strange sensation swelling in her chest...

So she forced out more.

"I just think you wasted our funds."

The scowl that overtook his features immediately informed her of the ill choice in words. Even the tone of her voice had been wrong somehow. She meant to be nonchalant about it, but instead the words came out angrily, almost as if she thought he had done something wrong.

While this wasn't the case, 9S was sure to misunderstand.

"Okay, what is your problem?" he asked, clearly aggravated.

"Gifts are a useless ritual," she replied immediately, mechanically.

9S scoffed, sounding almost amused with her statement. "Funny. You seemed to completely forget that yesterday when those machines gave you that ribbon you're wearing and what about that bracelet on your wrist, huh?"

She removed the ribbon and tore off the bracelet without a second thought. "They gave these to me as payment for our..."

"No, the black pearls and extra plug-in chips we received were payments, 2B," 9S interrupted, kneeling to pick up the bag he had dropped. With a sigh of exasperation he tossed the dress he bought back into it. "Just be honest with me, alright. You don't have a problem with gifts. You just have a problem with me."

Though desperate to deny his claim, the female android kept her mouth shut. She couldn't allow herself to get close to him. Not again.

The continuous cycle of life and death required detachment, but 9S made the task impossible. From the time they had truly met till now, he fought his way into her heart and each time he found a way to break it.

This time she wouldn't allow it. This time she would protect herself from pain.

This time...she would leave her own emotions to rot along with the memories she could never escape.

"Go back to the resistance camp," she ordered coldly, turning away from him. Her decision made, she walked off without turning back. He didn't pursue her, didn't even attempt to reach out to her.

Even now, he was still giving her what she needed.

Because 2B knew he wanted to follow. She knew he wanted, maybe even needed an explanation, but he wouldn't ask her for one.

She also knew he would sacrifice everything for her because he had done so over and over again.

* * *

A/N: Oh conflict, that terrible thing that must happen sometimes for a budding relationship to blossom into a beautiful lunar tear. And to think, this one started out so light and fluffy too. Anyway, thank you all again for coming down to read my story. It is greatly appreciated. If you enjoyed it, please tell me so. Also, constructive criticism is very helpful and so are any general tips for keeping 9S and 2B in character or anything else with the lore that could be off in some way. (Like with Emil. I had no idea how to describe him. Like at all. My brain failed me.) I want to make sure I'm doing the best job I can on this, so please feel free to point out any issues you find.

Secondary end snippet: After I found out about this world's barter system where monetary value is written as G (hence the reason I initially thought it was Gil). I heard the following snippet in my head:

 **2B: Do we have enough funds for the items we need?**

 **9S: Oh yeah, we have plenty of G's.**

Seriously...while it would have been super funny to write it like this...to me, 9S would have randomly sounded like a pimp daddy and well...then the dialogue would have ended up like this...

 **2B: Do we have enough funds for the items we need?**

 **9S: Oh yeah, we have plenty of G's girl. I'll buy you all the diamond rings and you'll be my main squeeze. What'cha say doll?**

 **2B: (O_O)**

Although, considering how 2B, Operator 21O, and A2 (after receiving 2B's memories midway through the game) all have feelings for him in one way or another...he could have a future in it. XD (I'm kidding.) Still though, picture it. Pimp daddy 9S. Give him a super fancy cheetah print suit and a black fedora. With the blindfold and a really fancy cane, he could totally pull it off...in a ridiculous "no way he could actually pull it off" sort of way. Anyway, enough of my craziness. You guys have a nice day!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Welcome back everybody! I hope this little chapter finds you in good spirits, and I do mean little literally. This thing is just over 3,000 words(including the author's notes) long, but there's a VERY good reason for that, which you'll find out about soon enough. Many thanks to the reviewers from the last chapter. In particular I'd like to thank laFia for pointing out a couple little things and for the nice conversation we ended up having later over this game and its many themes and characters. It was fun my friend.

Disclaimer: NieR: Automata is the property of Yoko Taro, Platinum Games, and Square Enix. This work is written for entertainment purposes only...and because 2B and 9S are the best and need numerous fanfictions dedicated to them. Now then, enough chit chat. Let's hit it!

* * *

As 2B bolted from the clearing, 9S lowered himself to the ground and collected the items she left behind with a sigh on his lips. After pocketing the ribbon and the small bracelet of violet flowers, he began to carry out the order his comrade had given him and marched back to the resistance camp slowly, his movements stiff and expression grim the entire way.

He wanted to kick himself and would have had it been possible.

Regardless of his feelings about it, these items were things 2B held dear. He had no right to berate her over it or have any semblance of jealousy inside of him, especially after she expressed why the gifts carried so much meaning for her.

 _I like the idea of Androids and Machines living together in peace._

The scanner model gritted his teeth at the memory from the previous day. Though he was certainly frustrated with 2B, other emotions were brewing inside, choking the anger right out of him. Things such as disappointment and shame were most prevalent in his mind as he continued moving, his destination clear in his mind even as a sense of foreboding filtered through his system.

" _I thought I was just honoring the promise I made_ ," he thought, not bothering to wave at the resistance member that greeted him. " _I was certain giving her the dress would make her happy."_

He had no reason to think differently. After all, the dress was just what she wanted.

Perhaps that was the whole problem.

 _We are not permitted to feel, and yet we were programmed with emotions_. _I always thought such programming to be cumbersome._

 _Why?_

 _Because...emotions...create pain._

The struggle in 2B's mind had been very present on her face when he offered the dress. 9S hadn't been oblivious to it, but he had hoped she would overcome that struggle and allow him another glimpse at the kind smiles she so rarely extended his way.

Seeing her revert back to her usual nonchalant, sterile nature caused his stomach to burn with indignation and he remembered clenching his hand so viciously that if he'd been human, his nails would have pierced straight through his hand like tiny knives.

It frustrated him to no end that he didn't know _why_ his gestures of friendship pained her so, why she completely shut down all emotion when he expressed his freely.

9S was well aware that he was being irrational, but his nature as a scanner model made it impossible to simply let the mystery go, especially when there were only a few key components left to completing the puzzle. Even so, despite the distance she wished to put between them, he cared about 2B's feelings and respected her choices...regardless of the pain it caused him to do so.

She was more than just a puzzle for him to solve.

She was 2B, his trusted ally.

More importantly, she was a woman suffering in silence, with no intention of drawing him into her world.

It's why he fought so hard to bring her into his.

But right now he knew he couldn't go after her. 2B needed to be alone for the time being, for his presence would only make whatever she was dealing with worse.

"Proposal: Unit 9S should pursue Unit 2B."

9S shook his head while opening the door to the room he and 2B shared within the camp. "Not now. She's not ready to speak with me."

Pod 153 made an odd sound, something that oddly resembled a sigh. "Reasoning accepted."

The scanner model shut the door behind him, his attention drifting to his side of the room, which was cramped with different items he had collected over the weeks he and 2B had spent on Earth. His gaze drifted to her end of the room next, and not for the first time noted how bare it was. Aside from a weapon or two on the small table by the bed and an extra pair of boots, there was nothing in the area that screamed of her existence. It was as if she had never been there.

Like he had only imagined her being with him all this time.

Frowning at the thought and the foreign feeling of something being lodged in his throat, he withdrew the ribbon and the bracelet from his pocket the placed the items along her pillow. After that he brought out the dress from the small bag Emil had given him. For a while he stared at it, the artificial organ in his chest heavy with an emotion he couldn't place.

 _Emotions...create pain..._

"I'm sorry," he whispered, neatly folding the dress before placing it next to the other items. "I didn't mean to hurt you, 2B."

"Proposal: Unit 9S should seek out Unit 2B and apologize in person."

Once again, the scanner model shook his head, ignoring his pod completely as he moved to his side of the room. Sitting down on his bed, he carefully removed his boots then reached for a circular object next to him.

Lately, 9S had gotten into the habit of frequenting the jukebox station on the other end of camp. The YoRHa unit once stationed there told him and 2B of the item's origin and how humans used to listen to music through the outdated device in places called restaurants. She then proceeded to play a track or two, and 2B had left after the progression of a few chords of a particular track.

9S, however, had lingered, listening to the haunting melody of the woman's voice as it echoed softly around him. The language she was singing in was utter nonsense to him, but there was something compelling about the words she sang in spite of this.

He remembered picturing 2B singing and wondering how her voice would sound reciting the melody before his comrade's hand gripping at the back of his uniform pulled him out of his inner musings and away from the jukebox altogether.

Laughing softly to himself, 9S directed his attention to a smaller device he had, something known as a record player. The friendly YoRHa unit had brought it to him three days ago before heading back to the Bunker. Along with it, she gave him a large, black disk, which contained the data for the music she had noticed him enjoying the most.

Opening the device, he took out the disk she had given him, fondly reading the title aloud to himself.

"Vague Hope," he whispered, setting the circular object down on the nearby table.

2B was wrong to assume 9S hadn't bought anything for himself. He wasn't so selfless that he wouldn't indulge in what he wanted from time to time. His final purchase from Emil was a testament to that.

Well...technically he didn't buy it exactly.

 _Here! Take this. It's on the house._

 _On the what?_

 _Oh, that's an old human saying. Haha! Anyway, you seem like someone who enjoys music. This is a vinyl disk from the old world. Even though most people listened to music on small portable devices, there were a few who continued to use the older equipment. Anyway, if you have something to play this on, you should take a listen._

 _I...can't just take this from you._

 _Sure you can. You've given me a lot of business today. Now, what name should I put on the receipt?_

 _Um...well..._

 _Scanning. YoRHa Unit 9S._

 _Uh..._

 _What was that? You say you want to know where I live?_

 _I didn't say anything like that!_

 _Well, think underground...then go deeper. Much deeper!_

 _O-kay...?_

 _Now I have to get going. Feel free to visit me anytime!_

Emil was a strange guy, but 9S was grateful to the oddball for supplying him with the dress and the ancient disk he now held in his hands. It was even older than the one the kind YoRHa unit had given him.

"This might not work," he muttered, his neutral expression reflecting off the dated material as he moved to put it into the device next to him. "Still worth a try though. Might take my mind off things."

Exhaling a soft sigh while inserting the large disk into the player, the scanner model briefly read over the title imprinted on it. Though faded, his eyes had no trouble deciphering the bold lettering along the tan label surrounding the center of the record.

"Life After You." He tilted his head to the left, his frown showcasing his confusion. "Weird title. Hope it doesn't sound weird too." With nimble fingers, 9S adjusted the mechanisms of the device before him to make sure everything was in proper working order.

"Proposal: Unit 9S should reconcile with Unit 2B."

Laying down on his bed, he answered. "Not now. Maybe after the record ends. I need some time to think too."

Still, even as he said this, that sense of foreboding in his chest grew.

Hoping to eliminate the strange sensation gnawing at him, the scanner model pressed the play button on the device and waited for the melody to begin.

* * *

"Unit 2B should reconcile with Unit 9S."

Pod 042 had made this point several times in the last half hour, to which 2B replied with either a scowl directed toward the support unit, a grunt of annoyance, or a clipped, "No." Granted, the female android knew she needed to talk to 9S at some point, if only for the sake of being able to function as a team on future missions since idle days like this were a very rare occurrence. Any day now, something would go horribly wrong somewhere and she and 9S would have to work together just to survive beyond yet another pointless battle.

But to do what needed to be done, she first needed to come to grips with herself and accept bitter reality because right now she was still in some sort of denial, hoping for miracles that simply couldn't happen. This world was far too cruel to allow the wishes of an android, an artificial being, to be granted; moreover, this type of world wasn't a place where happy endings could ever truly exist. To even entertain the idea was foolish, and yet 2B found herself dwelling on the "what ifs" surrounding her pitiful, meaningless life.

In all honesty, if she could just be rid of these emotions...

" _I hate them_ ," she mentally screamed, her hurried pace finally beginning to slow. " _They're absolutely useless and it hurts..."_

She paced through the vast forest kingdom along ground rich with vegetation.

"Unit 2B should reconcile with Unit 9S."

The female android came to a halt atop a thickening patch of grass as the anger she had tried so desperately to conceal bubbled over the top.

"And _how_ exactly do you suggest I do that!?"

"..."

"Well! I'm waiting!"

"..."

2B tapped her foot along the ground, her patience gone, yet she didn't bother to say anything else to the pod when it became clear to her that it had no answers to provide. And so, turning on her heel, she continued down the grassy path in a militaristic fashion with her fists clenched tightly to her sides. 042 floated after her, remaining quiet for a very long while following the emotional outburst from his master. In that time of silence, 2B crossed the river cutting through the center of the woodlands and stiffly hiked up a steep hill by a nearby waterfall.

Once through with the hike, she sat down on a slab of rock and stared over the rushing water for several minutes and checked through her internal systems for logic errors and abnormal vital signs. The mist surrounding the falls lifted into the air around her, dusting her cheeks in a pleasant chill while she focused on maintaining steady breaths in the wake of the rage simmering within.

"Unit 9S has shown an interest in melodic data from the old world," 042 stated suddenly, almost startling her. "Perhaps Unit 2B should acquire said data and present it to him as a form of apology."

2B stayed silent, contemplation clear in her distorted reflection in the water.

"Melodic data. You mean...like music?"

"Precisely."

The frown on 2B's face deepened significantly. She promised 9S to buy him something worthwhile too, didn't she?

" _What a fool I am._ _"_

9S had held up his end of the deal, granted he did so far earlier than expected, but regardless, 2B realized she had failed to not only accept her comrade's kindness but to return it by keeping her word to him.

Promises aren't meant to be broken, and difficult as it was to admit it, she had been selfish earlier. She had been so wrapped up in her own chaos that she had forgotten to consider what her actions did to him.

Keeping 9S at a distance came at its own price, one she knew had to be paid to protect herself, but also at the expense of someone she cherished.

2B hated to hurt 9S. More than anything, she wished for a way to stay by his side without causing him heartache in some way, but it was an inevitable outcome. She always damaged him and in turn, damaged herself. There was simply no way around it and nothing she could do to stop it.

The true purpose of her model was to destroy him. Over and over and over again without end.

Being programmed with emotions made her ultimate task much more difficult than it had to be. If she didn't have them she could go on like this forever and not care about any of it. The never-ending war, the cycle of life and death, the machines of Pascal's village, the androids of the resistance, the other units of YoRHa, 9S...none of it would mean anything. She could carry out her duty as an empty, merciless shell.

Instead here she was, fighting off spasms of grief and crippling despair.

Right now she wanted an answer for why things had to be this way, but no one is capable of granting her enlightenment on the matter. Not a single living, breathing thing could give her a reason to continue on this way.

No one that is, except 9S.

He had no idea how heavily she relied on him to stay afloat, to overcome the madness steadily infecting her mental systems.

And at the same time, he had no idea his mere presence in her life was why she continued to break down inside, little by little.

Even so...

 _Just be honest with me, alright. You don't have a problem with gifts. You just have a problem with me._

She wouldn't allow him to believe she didn't care about him, not when he was her sole reason for existing at all. Though too vague for her liking, 9S kept something akin to hope alive inside of her.

So if nothing else, she would honor the promise she made to him.

Droplets from the misty waterfall cascaded over her boots. "Pod, run a search for existing music data."

"Affirmative. Conducting scan."

Determined to fix what she had broken, 2B stood atop of the slab and stretched as she waited for 042 to complete his search.

"Scanning complete, existing melodic data from the old world can be found..."

A low rumbling through the ground interrupted him. 2B steeled herself, knowing such a sound did not bode well.

"Pod..."

"Goliath-class enemy approaching. Proposal: Request back-up from Unit 9S."

2B withdrew Virtuous Contract, her face composed despite the growing intensity of the pulsations through the ground. "He's too far from here to be of any help. I'll be fine alone."

"This pod disagrees with your assessment," Pod 042 argued, hovering closer to her side. "Unit 2B should call for assistance."

"I have you to assist me, don't I?" she questioned, taking a step back when a few trees a short distance from her location tumbled to the ground. Through the thicket of leaves she could see a singular crimson eye.

2B brought out her secondary weapon, Virtuous Treaty, once the machine noted her presence. The battle ahead was going to be a difficult one, but she would have to manage. She refused to drag other YoRHa units into her battles unless ordered or left with no other option. In this case, 2B anticipated a swift victory and even went so far as to taunt the incoming adversary with a few sharp motions of her swords through the air in front of her, as if to say, "Come and get it, pest."

The female android wouldn't let this fight last long.

After all, she had a promise to keep.

* * *

A/N: And that is the end of this chapter! Thank you very much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing so far. All of you are wonderful! The comments and the tips have been so helpful! Please continue to hold me accountable for this work. As I keep saying, I want to make sure this story is the best it can possibly be. If you guys enjoyed this short chapter, feel free to tell me so. Constructive criticism is also welcome and appreciated.

Secondary end note: Okay so you know how I talked about 9S being a pimp daddy at the end of the last chapter? Well, I figure it'd make for a hilarious one-shot, or short story where everybody and they mama is in love with 9S and he's just like, "Should I roll with this or..." If you guys are interested in something like that, let me know. I may take a crack at it once I'm through with this story. I already have a title picked out and everything. (Just know that if I choose to write it, the resulting story will be a complete parody of NieR: Automata where caution and sanity is thrown to the wind.)

Anyway, that's all I got to say for today. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Alright...it's been a minute. Sorry guys. Things got a little bit busy on my side. I'm about to graduate from college and on top of that a lot of other stuff has been going on, so I haven't had any time to get to posting this chapter...even though it's been done for more than a week. Thank you guys for your patience and continued support. I really appreciate it and I am so thankful for all the love you guys have been showing me. Seriously, I could not be happier! Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and helpful comments. This chapter is dedicated to all of you. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The wondrous work that is NieR Automata is owned by Yoko Taro, Platinum Games, and Square Enix. Please support the official release.

* * *

"A Goliath-class enemy has appeared in the forest region near Unit 2B's black box signal. Proposal: Unit 9S should assist Unit 2B immediately."

9S had already been running in that general direction in pursuit of 2B, his artificial heart ramming against his ribcage, but at the news of a Goliath-class machine in the same vicinity as the person he was trying to find and apologize to, he pushed himself harder, willing his legs to carry him farther faster.

"I should have been with her," he proclaimed, rage clearly displayed in his voice. "I should have..."

"Unit 9S should focus on the task at hand rather than waste energy reprimanding himself for logical failure," Pod 153 interrupted, following behind her master across the rickety bridge. "Hostile enemies detected ahead."

The scanner model could see the collection of moderately sized machines standing in his way, blocking him from reaching the commercial facility holding the path to where he needed to go. Several of them were colored in crimson and black, indicating they were made of thicker material. Just great.

" _I'm going to need something stronger to fight them_ ," he thought, switching to his second weapon set, which consisted of a heavier weapon. It was a katana of similar design and coloring to the one he usually carried, except this exquisite blade held a different name

 _Cruel Blood Oath._

Having switched his weapons, 9S unsheathed the sword and charged forward with a battle cry more fitting of a gladiator than a man of his small, scrawny stature.

But he was-artificial or not-a man, a man prepared to die to protect what he loved.

Of course, 9S wasn't certain he even knew what love really was. He only knew he had to be by 2B's side. As strong as she was, she couldn't fight the savage Goliath alone.

Even the glorious King David, in the days of his youth eons before Earth fell to ruin, had needed help striking the beast down, help from one, all-powerful God.

Of course, such a story isn't one Unit 9S would know about. He just knew 2B needed him.

And so, with a wave of his arms and a swift jump across the last wooden planks of the unstable bridge, 9S sent his new blade whirling in a circular motion across the area. Its path through the air thick with mist from the raging river far below was fierce and unrelenting as it connected with the torsos of three machines at once, instantly annihilating them. When the golden blade returned to him, he waved his arms again, moving the weapon in a vertical slash motion that split another machine in two. Grunting, he flung out his sword again following this and hacked into a few others simultaneously.

It took him less than a minute to destroy them all.

Unfortunately, a dozen more took their place, preventing him from gaining any ground.

Aggravated, 9S battled them again, his motions a bit sloppier now, but he made quick work of most of the enemies, only having trouble with one of the more massive machines composed of thicker material.

Only after this small victory was he able to gain ground, but even then he was stopped by another wave of enraged machines. With howling cries of anguish the creatures swarmed him, demanding attention he wasn't keen on giving when there was a far more important task weighing on his mind.

The scanner model clutched the hilt of his blade in a death grip, his hidden gaze narrowed on all the machines surrounding him. "Get. Out. Of. My. WAY!"

"Revenge. Revenge. Revenge for our king!"

9S sliced his way through them one after the other, no longer bothering with the hacking process. "If anything happens to her..."

"Revenge. Revenge. Revenge for our king! Death to androids! Death to them all!"

"Shut up!" Fed up with the ramblings of the machine lifeforms, he activated the Mirage program installed in 153 in order to attack in a series of invisible slashes. The words of revenge transformed into mechanical cries of pain then into a series of small explosions.

9S moved ahead. He spared no glance at the carnage around him.

"How close is she?"

Pod 153 answered as her master sprinted into the forest, his pace faster than ever. "Approximately five kilometers west from our current location."

"How long will it take to reach her if we continue at this speed?"

"Approximately five minutes."

9S clicked his tongue, biting back a curse. "That's not good enough."

"I'm afraid Unit 9S does not have the capability to reach Unit 2B any faster."

Even though he knew 153 was right, 9S still tried to push himself beyond his limit with the hope of getting to his comrade sooner.

" _Keep fighting 2B,_ " he whispered within his mind. " _Just keep fighting until I get there."_

* * *

A sharp screech shot through the forest in a massive shockwave, sending YoRHa Unit 2B to her knees for a millisecond of time. She maneuvered out of the vulnerable position quickly, her gaze on the giant, spider-like creature covered in dried leaves, leftover branches and mud. Beneath the grim and dirt she noted a metallic, greyish-white tone to the machine's body, indicating it had been built entirely from platinum.

She groaned inwardly in response to her own observation. " _According to the old human records, platinum is an element with high endurance and durability. It's easily scratched but not easily bent or broken. That explains why my attacks have barely made a dent on its surface. Even so..."_

The Goliath-class monstrosity shot out more streams of moving crimson lasers to which 2B jumped out of range by somersaulting gracefully between the spaces where the lasers weren't present. It was a difficult process, requiring the combat unit to be in constant motion.

Landing with a sharp splash, the female android rose from a crouched position, watching her enemy carefully as it charged for another laser light show. The fight had started at the top of the waterfall, but now 2B stood far from the rushing waves at the deeper end of the riverbed, soaked from head to toe.

This battle was taking a lot longer than expected.

"Unit 2B..."

Breathing harshly, she went on the offensive, the intense motion of her sprint sending more crystal droplets into the air while the tips of her blades created fierce ripples in the otherwise calm waters. 042 followed behind her, shooting the entire time while also producing a strong, projectile resistant shield when the enemy sent a dozen lasers her way.

The Goliath before her had been full of surprises, from quick moving lasers to a flying attack in which its legs became rotating swords.

And...if not for the upgrades 9S had poured into her pod, 2B wouldn't have been able to last this long. She was in fairly good condition primarily because 042's updates came with stronger shielding programs, which had proved to be invaluable for survival.

Later she would thank 9S, truly thank him, for pouring their combined materials into 042.

For now, she continued with her onslaught of violent slashes against the machine's weak spot, its luminous crimson eye.

Unfortunately, it had taken her this long just to break past the barrier protecting that vulnerable spot, which meant she hadn't actually damaged it at all yet.

" _Well, that's about to change_ ," she thought, striking the edge of the eye with Virtuous Contract before following up with a heavier attack using Virtuous Treaty. Then, she quickly changed her weapon set, which consisted of a smaller sword called Beastbane and Type-30 impact bracers. Using these weapons, she slashed away at the eye, then quickly moved out of range from the machine's legs as it geared up for yet another flying attack, shooting one of the projectile fists its way as she danced along the shallow water.

The fight continued on in this pattern for several minutes, though to 2B those minutes seemed to pass at an excruciatingly slow pace.

But after those few minutes, her efforts started to yield fruit. The machine's pace was decreasing and its energy output was lower.

" _Just one more successful attack will end it_ ," she thought anxiously, unconsciously biting down on her tongue in tense anticipation. " _I just need one more opening."_

"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge for our king! Die android! DIE!"

2B opted to stay silent, dodging the sword legs while switching her weapon set back to her usual two swords. The Goliath chased her through the waters, droning on relentlessly about vengeance in the name of the deceased Forest King.

"The king shall be avenged! You will suffer!"

" _There's my opening!"_ 2B dove forward, her swords ready to initiate the final blow of the fight.

"No mercy!" It shrieked, its massive eight legs disappearing into its body while the rest of the machine lifted into the air, hovering over the river as golden electricity started to surge through it.

The combat unit ceased her movements, now wary of the new tactic her enemy was using.

"Pod, what's it doing?" she questioned.

"The enemy is creating an electrical current outside of its body," 042 responded. "Proposal: Unit 2B should evade from the river to dry land."

2B was puzzled by the advice for half a second, long enough to remember water was a conductor of electricity and that she was still soaking wet. During the other half of that single second, she bolted toward land as a hole beneath the machine's eye opened.

In the following second...

"Ugh!"

Something thick yet sharp grabbed the android from the back of her neck, then forcibly dragged her down into the shallow water, its grip tightening the whole way down.

"You won't escape our wrath!"

2B was able to drag herself into a kneeling position, her body facing the enemy she had briefly turned her back on to her detriment. Apparently, in that short moment of blindness, another offensive mechanism of the machine activated.

Truly it was spider-like, not only because it formerly had eight legs but because it had a mechanical web function enabling it to render its captives motionless if it chose.

" _So then...this thing has been toying with me. Of course."_

Realizing the dire nature of her situation, 2B dipped her head toward the water while a small, sardonic laugh spilled out between her lips. For a few seconds she stared at her reflection, at the distortion in her face as she smiled. The expression was one laced in spite, perhaps even a little malice.

But mostly...she saw despair.

"Pod...get out of here and rendezvous with 9S."

"Negative. This pod..."

"Shut up and go!"

Wires that felt like hands tightened painfully around her neck then, forcing out another gasp from her throat. Though the smile was gone, she found herself choking on another small chuckle.

Surely this was a form of punishment.

"G-go..." She barely managed to get the word out, but 042 didn't argue with her any further. He drifted away from the battle and moved high above the waterfall within the enemy's blind spot. 2B watched for a few seconds as 042 sent out what she could only presume was a distress signal.

" _It's pointless. No one will be here in time."_

With a cry of effort she tried to cut herself away using her swords, but the Goliath shot out more wires from its mouth, locking her wrists in a crushing grip that utterly destroyed her hold on the weapons. They slipped from her hands, creating tiny splashes that resonated endlessly in her ears.

"Now you are helpless just as our king was helpless."

"Ah!" The wires around her neck were beginning to choke her, robbing her of air.

 _A fitting death isn't it. How many times have you killed 9S this way?_

2B gritted her teeth, both in agony and frustration as the machine continued its onslaught on her throat.

 _But your memory data is continuously backed up, so it doesn't really matter if you lose this body. You will find yourself killing him yet again. You will continue to suffer forever and ever. There's no redemption. There's no forgiveness. That's how this world works or have you forgotten that?_

"We will make you suffer just as our king suffered."

2B was unable to hold back the blood curdling scream that retched from her throat when the shockwave of pure fire shot through her system. For several seconds she convulsed, her whole world shifting into a monochrome hue.

"Suffer! Suffer!"

The auto-heal plug-in chip instantly activated, repairing half of the damage she'd taken. It was enough to bring color back to her world, but to 2B it was just another punishment for all the sins she had committed.

"SUFFER ANDROID!"

A stronger burst of electrical energy fried 2B's inner circuits, knocking her sensory settings out of whack; nevertheless, the auto-heal chip saved her from death. However, even with the auto-heal, her internal systems wouldn't be able to withstand another electrical shockwave.

"W-why..." The murmured word was a plea for it to end. She just wanted the pain to end, for good.

A part of her would give anything to die and just not come back.

 _Hey, 2B. When do you think you'll be willing to call me Nines?_

Tears escaped from beneath the visor covering her eyes without permission, and 2B inwardly cursed her emotions once more.

She hated them. She hated them because she couldn't be true to them.

She couldn't be true to herself.

One last rasp of strangled breath escaped the android. Her eyes closed.

"9...S..."

Darkness took over her world as silence slowly invaded it, stealing away every sound, from the quiet hum of the river to the howling cries of the machine demanding reasons for the death of its king.

Even if 2B could have said something in those moments, there was no answer she could give.

 _"Does...anything in this world...have meaning?"_

 _..._

"Get away from her!"

2B's eyes shot open upon hearing the familiar voice. " _N-Nines...?"_

"You filthy scum! Release 2B now!"

Suddenly the wires were gone from her neck and arms as the Goliath turned its attention to the newcomer. The female android coughed violently in response to the air forcing its way into artificial lungs, her mind filled with confusion and gratitude as she weakly lifted her gaze, straining to right the visual functions damaged by a lack of oxygen and high voltage electrocution.

"9...S...you..."

9S stood rigidly at the top of the waterfall wearing an expression of pure fury and hate, dispelling any idea that this confrontation was just business to him even as his deliberate movements reflected precision of an almost mechanical nature, a thing so unlike the 9S she knew.

On top of that, her visual sensors jutted every so often, further contorting his facial features into the mask of a demon.

His gaze was on her. She knew that not because she could see it, but because of how hard he was grinding his teeth together, as if her current condition physically pained him.

The machine was still screaming the whole time, but 2B didn't hear any of it. All of her focus was on her ally, her target, her friend.

"You hurt, 2B," 9S finally muttered, a large, familiar katana now extended out toward the enemy.

For a few seconds she felt yet another pang of despair.

"We will avenge the king! We will avenge the king!"

"I won't forgive you," the scanner model continued, his voice rising an octave on the last word. "I won't...forgive...YOU!"

9S rushed down the steep hill following his decree while skillfully avoiding the attacks of the weakened Goliath. 2B watched him from the river, crawling slowly through the water as he screamed deranged curses and flung his weapon at the beast on her behalf.

Eventually she made it to the edge of the riverbed, her legs in the water while her torso stretched over mud and pebbles. The sound of battle carried on not too far behind her, but try as she might to move forward, she simply didn't have the strength to continue.

"Unit 2B, what is your current physical condition?"

The sound of pod 153's voice soothed her. "I'm...okay. Where's 042?"

"Tactical Unit 042 is assisting YoRHa Unit 9S in battle."

2B nodded, registering the information slowly. "I see. Thank you."

After another few minutes of clashing metal and enraged howls from both machine and android, an explosion echoed through the air, indicating the defeat of the Goliath after a long tumultuous struggle.

042 hovered over shortly after, saying, "The Goliath has been annihilated thanks to the combined efforts of Units 2B and 9S."

2B heard 9S' rushed footsteps following the statement. In an instant he was next to her, his face a more welcome sight than she had expected it to be, but his expression was grim. The concern he had for her had rendered him an emotional wreck, which was clearly displayed from the way he said her name to how gently he extracted her from what was almost a watery grave.

"I got you," he kept saying. "I got you."

The words repeated in her head, even after he stopped saying them.

He did have her. He had all of her. No matter how many times she tried to escape his hold, he found a way to claim her as his own every time; moreover, in a similar way, she had her own claim on him. His tone of voice, the way he held her in his arms, and the relief she saw in his smile once he was certain she wasn't damaged beyond repair reflected a need he had...a need to be by her side as well.

"2B, please don't give me the silent treatment right now," he begged after some time had passed, his shrouded gaze still on hers. "From what I've checked out, you're going to be okay, but I need you to tell me that you're going to be okay for me to actually believe it, so please..."

"Nines."

"..."

The single uttering of the nickname changed the entire dynamic of the situation.

Suddenly, 2B saw more than just the comrade she continuously had to kill.

In her past interactions with Unit 9S, she had seen the nature of a strong soldier, an impatient child, a vicious killer, and a loyal friend.

But now, she saw the nature of love in the parting of his lips as he inhaled in surprise, and the true nature of the man she had loved for an immeasurable space of time.

Artificial or not, the two of them belonged together within this Shakespearean tragedy.

To be or not to be? That is the question.

In this moment of time, the longsuffering YoRHa executioner doesn't have an answer. She never has an answer.

She only knows that it feels good when 9S slowly pulls her closer. When his arms fold around her waist and up her back, she leans against his shoulder without a second thought. Her false heart began to beat in time with his.

Their bodies held no real heat, but for the first time since coming into existence, 2B felt warmth.

"I'm okay," she whispered, a final tear escaping from beneath her blindfold. "Thank you."

She felt his gloved fingers gently weaving through her hair. "Rest, 2B. You put a lot of strain on your body before, so you need to go into rest mode for now." He paused, his breath a cold shudder against her neck. He was shaking.

"Are you alright?"

9S continued to fiddle with her hair, distracted. "Y-yeah. Fine. I guess I just..." With another intake of breath he answered her properly. "Nevermind. I'm fine. You're the one in bad shape here."

"Unit 2B is heavily damaged," 042 cut in. "Proposal: Initiate rest mode so Unit 9S can perform emergency maintenance."

"You heard him," 9S droned, sounding a little more like himself. "Time for a nap."

Closing her eyes, 2B leaned more fully against him, suppressing a chuckle.. "Very well, then. Initiating rest mode."

* * *

A/N: And that ends this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed that little bit of fluff at the end. It was fun to write. This chapter took a while to make, primarily because battle scenes are my weak point in terms of writing. So if you guys saw anything that was a little weird with that, be sure to let me know. Constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks again for your continued support of this work. You guys are so amazing and I hope you all will enjoy the next chapter once I am able to put it up. It may be a little while because I'm still editing it, but know that it is on the way guys.

On a final note, there's one reviewer I would like to thank personally. And that reviewer is Spiritual Sister. About two weeks ago, I was going through an extremely rough time. In the week after I posted the third chapter, my grandmother was admitted into a hospital for pneumonia and other breathing issues (don't worry she's doing much better now), my cat Miguel went missing (don't worry he made his way back home after being missing for a week), and life was generally unpleasant that week because I'm still coping with some other family issues from months ago, and while that situation is resolved, the aftermath still hurts.

Anyway, when I first saw Spiritual Sister's review, I thought it was kinda random since it had nothing to do with the story really. Even so, as a Christian myself, I found what she said to be really encouraging after reading it again, especially because her words reminded me of why I write in the first place. I write to make a difference in people's lives in some way and, if something I wrote prompted Spiritual Sister to spread the gospel and get the word out on the good news God has given us, that lets me know that I'm on the right track, that I'm doing something worthwhile in some way. She also reminded me that no matter what's going on in my life, God is with me and I don't really have to worry about anything when he's got my back. Yes, painful times will still come and there will be times when I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world, but if I keep believing in God's word and keep living the life he would have me live, everything will work itself out. So, thank you Spiritual Sister for the encouragement.

Have a great day everyone! Thanks again for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys! So it's been another minute since I last updated. My apologies for that. Not only did things get busier, but some amazing things happened. The main thing is that I graduated from college, which means I am a free woman! Finally! I am out of jail and I never have to go back! Hallelujah! Praise be to Jesus! On a secondary note, many thanks to the wonderful reviewers who not only left kind words about this story but also wished me well in my life and congratulated me on my impending graduation...which has just happened so life is really great right now. Thank you all so much! (Also...we're at 50 reviews now. Oh my gosh guys! You are amazing! I'm overjoyed!)

Special thanks goes to laFia who revealed some very important lore information that is going to be implemented here. Thank you so much my friend! This chapter is dedicated to you because it honestly would not have made it to the site without your help. You're the best!

Another note of special thanks goes to beffytac0. Your review really touched my heart. I'm very happy that you have enjoyed my work thus far. My favorite thing about storytelling in general is conveying the spirit of characters and your compliment about my depiction of 2B and 9S really made my day, so thank you very much.

 **NOTE** : This chapter is basically the last chapter, but told entirely from 9S' perspective rather than 2B's. At first I debated whether I actually needed to have this chapter in the story or not, but after much thought and with laFia's information, I can now say that this chapter is probably going to be one of the most important in this short story, so let's get to it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the wondrous work that is NieR Automata. It belongs to Yoko Taro, Platinum Games, and Square Enix. Please support the official release of the game and it's absolutely stunning soundtrack composed by Keiichi Okabe, featuring the vocal talents of Emi Evans, J'nique Nicole, and Nami Nakagawa. (Seriously, buy the soundtrack. It's good. It's really, really good.)

* * *

"Pod 042 sighted."

9S stabbed the tip of Cruel Blood Oath through a machine head, an involuntary grunt of anger escaping him as it fell dead before him with a grating screech.

"Where?"

The pod extended its arm, pointing to the right. "Twenty meters east."

9S shifted his gaze and sure enough, he caught a tiny glimpse of something resembling a pod hovering beyond the nearby thicket of trees, accompanied by more aggravating ramblings from yet another rabid machine...

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The sudden agonized cry reverberated through the atmosphere like thunder, shaking 9S to the core the instant the sound reached his ears. For a moment all thought left him, his inner circuits ceased to function, and the fluid acting as his blood slowed then halted its movement through his veins. His heart followed the pattern soon after, its pounding reduced to nothingness.

Beneath the blindfold, 9S' icy gaze slowly widened in response to the debilitating panic that had abruptly spilled throughout his systems. It steadily removed light and color from his field of vision until the world was nothing more than a void of endless darkness.

The only thing remaining was that single, petrifying scream.

" _2B...hang on,_ " he thought, all rationality leaving him as he fought against the sudden numbness in his legs in order to move where 153 told him to go. For whatever reason, it was difficult to keep up a decent walking pace without stumbling or falling over completely, which prompted him to hurl a number of silent curses at the appendages, demanding they function as they were built to function before he ran out of time to save his comrade.

The mental war he waged against his body was a lost cause, an illogical feat the mechanical part of him quickly gave up on, but the more dominant emotional programming imbedded through his brain circuitry pressed on stubbornly and would continue to do so until 2B was out of harms way.

He could hear the monstrous machine now, taunting her.

"Suffer! Suffer!" It screeched. On and on it begged for her suffering, and on and on 9S heard 2B's initial howl of agony in his mind.

"Unit 9S, your vitals are climbing to alarming levels..."

"I know," he interrupted, forcing the words out since he couldn't manage to force his pace to anything faster than a shaky jog across the dirt laden path. "High vitals and unstable mental functions like this are ideal conditions for a logic virus to take root. If these readings climb up the scale much more, I could end up catching one, especially if I come into direct contact with EMP waves."

"Proposal: Unit 9S should call for back-up..."

"There's no time for that." He stopped, took a few seconds to inhale, then with the stubbornness to rival the most dangerous of bulls, sprinted across the remaining five meters, only stopping once 042 was next to him, giving an explanation as to what was happening in condensed conversation mode to 153.

While the two pods conversed, 9S assessed the situation below the slab of rock he stood on, his gaze unfocused as he searched for his comrade around the imposing structure of the Goliath. It was a massive, spider-like thing surging with electrical energy. And with all this water around...

" _2B..."_

He caught a glimpse of 2B on her knees seconds later and nearly choked on his own breath when he registered the thick, metal wires encircling her neck and wrists. The weapons she usually carried with such strength and grace had drifted from her hands and were now tied to the floor of the shallow river.

With her head bowed, she was a shell of herself. Broken. Vulnerable. Full of unspoken sorrow and empty of everything else. So different from the capable soldier she was and yet there was still the tiniest bit of the stoic combat model written in the expression on her face, almost as if she didn't care what happened to her.

But this time 9S saw through the nonchalance, down to the core of what was really going on in the elaborate maze of her mind.

Deep down, he had always known but had chosen to ignore the tugging of formatted and corrupted memory. After all, the tidbits of information served no purpose but to add fuel to fires of harsh resentment he didn't wish to feel. Out of everything else he felt towards 2B, those emotions held the least amount of meaning to him, and so he had discarded them altogether some time ago.

He knew there were substantial gaps in his memory data due to multiple deaths over a long stretch of time; moreover, he wasn't built for combat, yet he carried a sword of his own and could fight in small bursts alongside other combat units. Furthermore, his and 2B's encounter with a Type E YoRHa model, a unit specifically built to execute other YoRHa operatives, was extremely telling to some degree.

He hadn't thought much of the encounter in relation to his partner at the time. 2B had acted fairly normally, only stating there were some things better left unknown.

Now, in the midst of her struggle against the Goliath, 9S finally understood the unspoken message of her words then, of the distance she continuously tried to put between them, and the reason she valued the ideal of peace with machines.

In a split second, the pieces of the puzzle slipped into place.

He couldn't hear 2B as she spoke to her reflection, but he saw her lips form a single word.

"W-why...?"

And then, he saw tears escape from the blindfold covering her eyes, eyes he knew were the purest blue.

"2B...I..."

He watched her mouth again in a daze, a foreign lump of raw emotion lodged in his throat.

"9...S..."

That was the last straw.

"Vitals of Unit 9S have now entered the danger zone..."

9S didn't hear 153.

All of his attention shifted to the machine causing his beloved pain.

"Get away from her!"

The Goliath's body turned toward him, but the machine kept its grip on 2B.

"You filthy scum!" he spat, taking a single step forward on the rock. "Release 2B now!"

Figuring that 2B was no longer a substantial plaything, the Goliath-class pest released his hold on the female android, allowing her to fall against the water in a discordant splash. Still, even though she was badly damaged, she strained to look up at him. 9S returned her gaze, grinding his teeth together when her shrouded eyes reached his.

It was so easy to see now. The anguish, the despair she had been hiding from him, from the whole world.

The more 9S looked at her, the angrier he became.

How dare this...this... _machine_ touch her!

"You hurt, 2B," he finally muttered, extending his blade toward the offending beast with a type of precision and ease he didn't know he'd been capable of.

"We will avenge the king! We will avenge the king!"

"I won't forgive you," the scanner model continued, his voice rising an octave on the last word. "I won't...forgive...YOU!"

"ALL ANDROIDS MUST DIE!"

9S bolted from the rock, flipping once in the air. The Goliath chased after his figure, sending out a couple electrical shocks toward him, but the range of the attack was small, far smaller than the scanner model expected. Once more he glanced at 2B while she crawled against the weak current, realizing she must have brought the machine to this weakened state...alone.

" _I won't let your efforts be in vain_ ," he thought, hurling Cruel Blood Oath toward the monster's weak point as if it were a spear. It howled in response, but the single attack wasn't enough to destroy the machine. Since 9S wasn't a combat model like 2B, his melee capabilities had less of an impact on their enemies, thus the reason he usually stuck to hacking. Even now, the tactic was proving to be the more logical option available to him, but the rage exploding within stopped him from defaulting to that solution.

Right now, he needed the satisfaction of ending the beast before him with his own two hands.

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Howling in a manner unbefitting of an android prohibited to express emotion, 9S dodged an incoming strike and stabbed the Goliath's crimson eye. Another animalistic sound retched itself from his throat as he withdrew from the machine, landing in a crouch in the water. 042 shot out a laser beam from behind him, then covered the scanner model in a shield when the machine regurgitated massive orbs of crimson light. The tactical support unit sent bullets through most of them while 9S hurriedly dodged the blasts with Cruel Blood Oath firmly gripped in his right hand, spouting obscenities unconsciously, mercilessly.

Every ounce of his focus was spent bringing destruction to the thing responsible for damaging his partner, his friend...

His executioner.

"D-Death...to..."

Stabbing it again, 9S interrupted the machine's words, saying, "You don't get to hurt 2B and get away with it!"

With another cry of effort he plunged the blade into the eye again and again until the machine's strangled moans of hatred faded. Then, with an expression of intense concentration, he leapt away from the machine and waited out the shockwave that tore through the ground in the explosion that followed, but the scanner model couldn't say he felt the tremors beneath his feet.

What he could feel were the shallow, labored breaths burning through his throat. The effort it took to simply breathe properly was a strange sensation. Another bit of terror gripped him, but he was quick to suppress it, to calm himself down from the intensity of the battle and his own feelings.

" _This is the reason..._ " he thought. " _This is why emotions are prohibited. Even so...I..."_

Closing his eyes, 9S checked through his internal systems, noting the dangerously high heart rate and blood pressure, but aside from these abnormalities, there were no signs of any virus. This fact brought a small bit of peace to him. It was enough for him to tamper down his emotions to a stable level, at least until he remembered why his vitals were all over the place to begin with.

He turned, his hidden gaze catching 042 as he quickly floated to the edge of the riverbank where 153 was. 2B lay beneath the two pods, her body sprawled across the space between dry land and the river.

The sight was an ironic, almost depressing visual representation of the war between her two selves: 2B and 2E.

"2B..." Her name was a whispered plea on his lips, hesitant and fragile, while his footsteps frantically pounded against the ground, bringing him to the combat model in a matter of seconds.

Once kneeling beside her, he gently grasped 2B's shoulders in order to extract her from the river. A groan of effort was her response to his touch, and for a few seconds she tried to move on her own, tried in vain to ignore the shocks still coursing through her lithe frame in an attempt to shoulder the burden of pain alone, but 9S wasn't going to allow it. Not anymore. She had suffered through enough by herself.

"I got you," he told her when she resisted his tugging. "I got you." Another gasp of discomfort escaped his fellow android, so he repeated the words a few more times, hoping she would hear what he really meant by them.

In his mind he was apologizing to her, begging her for forgiveness for a number of things he couldn't convey verbally. At the same time, he was getting a read on her internal systems, trying to assess the extent of the damage. The inner circuitry was definitely in bad shape, but not beyond repair. If anything, the aftershock she was dealing with was going to be the worst of it.

"2B, how are you feeling?" he asked her with a slight air of formality, his fingers barely brushing her jaw as he tried to steady her.

She didn't respond. 9S couldn't see her eyes, so he wasn't sure what she was looking at and he had no idea what she was thinking or if she was even thinking at all. In fact, aside from the grunts of pain, she hadn't uttered a single word to him.

His grip tightened a little. "Can you feel that? Do you feel me gripping your arms?"

Silence met the question. 9S scowled then let out a long, dejected sigh.

"2B?" He brought his hand to her face now, tugging it upward so he was staring down at the space where her eyes rested beneath the blindfold. He thought to remove it in case her body had gone into an emergency shut down, but opted for another tactic instead when he noted her hand slowly gripping at the fabric of his jacket.

"2B, please don't give me the silent treatment right now," he said after another couple of seconds. "From what I've checked out, you're going to be okay, but I need you to tell me that you're going to be okay for me to actually believe it, so please..."

"Nines."

"..."

The single uttering of the nickname changed the entire dynamic of the situation.

9S' hold loosened then tightened again, constricting 2B's movement as he studied the expression on her face, but he couldn't read much into the curve of her lips this time around. It was as if she had suddenly become a mystery to him again and he couldn't decipher anything.

She had finally said it. Really said it. His nickname...the name he longed for her to call him.

9S felt his chest swell with something, another emotion he couldn't name. At the same time, he felt water gathering in the corners of his eyes beneath the covering on his face. The sensation startled him, caused his lips to part in awe.

At the same time, a wave of dread pressed down on him in that moment, not because his nickname on her lips didn't sound right or anything like that. No, the dread came from something deeper inside of him, something that feared being apart from her despite knowing her true identity and purpose for being by his side at all.

That same feeling of dread had caused him to burst from the resistance camp after having the lyrics of the song he'd heard translated to something he could understand. Even now, he could hear the words in his mind, and those words tore through the loneliness he felt before 2B became an integral part in his life yet fed to a fear he hadn't known was there until now.

 _All that I'm after is a life full of laughter, as long as I'm laughing with you.  
I'm thinking that all that still matters is love ever after...  
After the life we've been through...  
Cause I know there's no life after you._

There was truth in those words, a truth 9S knew he wasn't ready to face yet.

Despite the silent terror straining to destroy him from the inside out, the scanner model tugged the beautiful combat model closer, uninhibited by the sharp pangs bursting through his chest one after the other. He caressed the small amount of bare skin on her back, which her YoRHa uniform left exposed for anyone to see...to touch.

9S has always admired 2B, and for a variety of reasons, but a different feeling had started to crawl through him, tainting all of the thoughts he had about her as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

His senses sharpened abruptly, making him aware of things he hadn't been before, like the way her chest felt pressed against his or the way her breath tickled his neck, making his heart rate flutter in a way that was definitely not right.

"I'm okay," she whispered after a long moment. "Thank you."

9S felt oddly content as he wove his gloved fingers through her hair. "Rest, 2B. You put a lot of strain on your body before, so you need to go into rest mode for now." He paused, his breath coming out in a soft rasp he couldn't control.

" _Something's wrong...I..."_ He shook a little, and try as he might, he was unable to completely hide the tremors from her.

"Are you alright?" she questioned.

He responded distractedly, still fiddling with her hair. "Y-yeah. Fine. I guess I just..." With another intake of breath he answered her properly. "Nevermind. I'm fine. You're the one in bad shape here."

"Unit 2B is heavily damaged," 042 cut in. "Proposal: Initiate rest mode so Unit 9S can perform emergency maintenance."

9S almost laughed, but hesitated to do so for fear that it would come out wrong. "You heard him. Time for a nap."

2B leaned more fully against him and the artificial organ in his chest executed several somersaults in response. Was this happiness? Despair?

The scanner model didn't have a clue.

"Very well, then. Initiating rest mode."

Seconds later, 2B's hands fell limply around him. 9S nearly panicked until he heard her soft breaths.

She was going to be the death of him, and not just in the obvious sense.

As 042 and 153 gathered 2B's abandoned weapons, 9S continued to hold her, savoring the closeness and the trust she had placed in him yet again. Unfortunately he couldn't continue to sit here by the riverbank holding his comrade with other machines lingering through the forest. 2B wasn't the only one to have put their body through strain against the Goliath.

9S' eyes closed beneath the blindfold. "Pod."

153 was by his side in an instant, carrying Virtuous Contract in a ring of golden light. "Unit 9S?"

"Run a search for a nearby shelter free of enemies," the scanner model began, sighing heavily from sudden exhaustion. "I can't transport 2B back to the resistance camp like this."

"Understood," 153 answered. "Initiating search."

042 hovered over, carrying Virtuous Treaty. "Unit 9S, changes in atmospheric pressure indicate imminent precipitation in approximately five minutes."

"Rain, huh?" The scanner model let out a sigh while peering at the murky clouds far above the treetops. "What impeccable timing, almost as if it were planned ahead of time."

"Suitable shelter found seventy-two meters west of current location," 153 stated. "Now marking location on the map."

"Is the path marked also free of enemies?"

"Affirmative."

9S gave a nod, then shifted 2B's body weight as a means of carrying her. Doing so was a difficult task given his weaker physical stature and the fact he had already exhausted himself against the Goliath, but he eventually managed to get her into a comfortable position on his back before rising to his feet.

"Seventy-two meters west." Pivoting on his heel, the scanner model groaned when he noted the steep hill a distance ahead. "Pod, how long..."

"More than five minutes."

"Oh, come on! I didn't even finish asking the question!" 9S complained, adjusting 2B's weight again before making a slow trek in the direction indicated.

"Unit 9S has predictable behavioral patterns," 153 answered simply, unaware of the distant thunder drowning out the monotonous tone of her voice. Still, even if the thunder hadn't been present, the rest of the pod's words would have been overridden by the blaring noise of someone calling him from the Bunker.

Activating the HUD screen, he waited for his operator's face to appear, but instead...

"9S! WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

Operator 6O's voice tore through the silence.

* * *

A/N: And that ends this chapter! Thank you all so much for reading and for all the kind responses. It is very much appreciated and I will try to get the next chapter up a little bit sooner. Just pray that writer's block doesn't claim my brain as it often tries to do. Once again, if you guys see anything that's a little off up there in terms of lore or grammar, feel free to let me know and I will do my best to fix it in a timely manner. Have a great day and if you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to tell me so in that comment box below!

And one last little thing. The lyrics I incorporated are from the song entitled Life After You by Daughtry. I didn't mention it earlier because I didn't want you guys listening to it prematurely, but know that this song is going to play an important role in this story as it continues. (The lyrics probably won't pop up again though, not unless it's just absolutely necessary.) Apparently, this story is going to be a bit longer than I originally anticipated. Thanks again to all of you for reading. Stay tuned for the next one and have a great day!


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